Lifeguards have recovered a badly decomposed body found in the waters off the coast of Sunset Cliffs, San Diego Fire-Rescue officials confirmed to NBC 7 San Diego. 

The report first came in from a civilian helicopter flying in the area. San Diego Police (SDPD) dispatched their helicopter to find the body, but could not find it at first. 

Around 12:15 p.m. Sunday, a boat worked to retrieve the body, seen a third of a mile off shore near Ocean Beach. The body appears to be that of a man in his late 30s. 

The body was found with no clothes on. Lifeguards did not know if there was a known missing person. 

It appears the body was in the ocean for about a week. 

No further information was immediately available.

Refresh this page for updates on this breaking news story.

 Areas of San Diego County currently without any fire agency or district to serve them will soon have expanded fire protection and emergency services. 

An additional 21,048 acres -- an estimated 148 homes -- will now be in San Diego County Fire territory, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted this week. County Fire territory will now cover more than 1.5 million acres of unincorporated San Diego County. 

The new areas added to the plan are referred to as "islands" 2, 3 and 4. The areas are bordered by other fire districts, but are not actually covered themselves. 

Years ago, these homes were left out of the plan because the land was mostly undeveloped wildland. Now, two of the three areas have homes, but remain uncovered by surrounding fire districts. 

An estimated 226 residents live in the 85 homes in Island 2, located off State Route 67 between Ramona, Lakeside, Poway, San Diego and Santee.

Island 3 is located south of Interstate 8 between Alpine, Lakeside, Harbinson Canyon and Flinn Springs. Approximately 229 residents live in the 63 homes in that area.

Island 4, compromised of 5,163 acres of undeveloped land, sits between Chula Vista, Spring Valley and Campo. 

The decision still has to be approved by the Local Agency Formation Commission. If approved, changes may take effect later in 2016. 

County Fire launched in 2008 in an effort to better unify and improve emergency fire and medical services. 

No one starts with a needle in his or her arm.

Hidden within addiction is mental instability. We know that addicts do not just become users on a whim; there is a trigger caused by mental illness.

Something triggered Derik, my younger brother, into the dark path of addiction. We never truly understood his trigger, which made the cycle of addiction worse for my family and me. Addiction took hold of Derik when he was just a young teen, trying the “small stuff” and loving the way it made him feel. It wasn’t until his adult years, when he was prescribed an opiate for pain management, that he got his first taste of a true high. The painkiller, a gateway drug, opened the door for Derik to try heroin – and boy, did it have its grip on him after he was introduced to it, the monster that would take control of his mind, body and soul.

As angry as I am, I now understand that Derik’s addiction was a mental illness, and he could not choose the sober path. His body and warped mind chose heroin over sobriety, chose heroin over his daughter, Scarlet, and over the rest of us whom he left behind, now mourning the loss of a soul too young to depart.

Derik suffered on a daily basis for two and a half years with his demon, heroin. He loved his family and his daughter, but did not love his life. Heroin helped Derik escape his reality; it put him into a daze that allowed him to forget. He truly tried with all his might to tell his body that the fixes were not worth it, but his body and mind outweighed his heart each time he took the needle. My brother did try to get help by entering rehabilitation facilities at least five times, yet nothing changed.

Rehabilitation facilities are just the initial stage of treatment. These facilities start with detoxification and medically managed withdrawal. But that alone does not address the psychological, social and behavioral problems associated with addiction and therefore, does not typically produce lasting behavioral changes necessary for recovery.

My brother needed further behavioral treatment for full recovery; he thought of rehab as more of a vacation from his disease rather than treatment to help subdue the urges. These treatments include long- and short-term residential treatment, outpatient treatment programs, and individual and group counseling – all designed to help patients engage in the recovery process, modify their attitudes and behaviors related to drug abuse, and increase healthy life skills. There are programs that enhance the effectiveness of medications and help people stay in treatment longer, yet funding for them is limited, and insurance does not cover everything. So what hope was there for Derik?

I had already prepared my heart for the inevitable phone call, so when it came, I was ready. The nightmare began with a simple text in the morning: My brother had not come home last night, and some gullible girl had taken him to Philly. Derik said, “I will be 20 minutes,” but he never came back. I reassured my mom that he would be back; he always resurfaced. But I had a feeling deep down that this time was different. I braced myself for reality. Heroin had its grip on him.

Derik lost his battle with addiction on May 7, 2015. On that night, my brother was deceptively given fentanyl rather than his drug of choice. He slipped into a deep sleep, his body forgetting to breathe. For an entire day, he was lost, unclaimed, and thrown away like trash to rot in the elements of a wooded alley in Kensington. His body was not found until late on May 8. My insides ache to think that his body wasted away in the scorching heat for an entire day in that alley, alone, waiting for someone to claim him as Derik M. Lawley, a brother, a son, and father.

When the funeral home called and asked me to identify Derik’s body so that they could process him and make his body look like Derik again, I immediately said yes. Being who I am, I told myself that I could do it alone. I thought the image of his lifeless body should be the burden that only I carried.

I opened the door to the funeral home, remembering greeting the many visitors for my grandfather’s funeral two years prior in that very same spot. The funeral director asked, "Are you ready?” and I probably gave her a look of discontentment. Of course I am not ready. Up to this point, it was all a dream. It might not have been Derik. It could have been a mistake, and he could have been just walking the streets of Philly.

I walked with her and turned the corner to what would be one of the most heart-wrenching sights I would ever see: Derik lying dead. My hands trembled, my mouth let out a small whimper, and I felt like I could faint. I whispered, “That's him and I'm sorry,” the words running together. I was warned not to touch him due to the extensive autopsy injuries and his body not being embalmed, but all I wanted to do was hug him and slap him at the same time.

The next morning, my family made the decision of where Derik’s final resting place would be. Valley Forge Park is peaceful – trees, flowers, and the chirping of birds. A place safe from Derik’s demons, from himself, and from the judgment of others. Mom, Dad, and I picked the niche in the columbarium where he would be interred. It was almost like choosing a new house not only for Derik, but for my grandparents, my parents, and my husband and me. We chose for him to be in the middle so that he would not be alone. Our grandparents will join the niche next to him when God decides to take them into the light, and Mom and Dad will join him on the other side. A sandwich of love. I pondered to myself for a moment there; I thought I heard Derik’s laugh in the wind.

The peace I felt as we picked Derik’s niche was gone the moment I saw him in his cremation box waiting for the flames. He was dressed in the clothes I picked out for him: a gray button-down shirt he wore often and black pants. I could see more of Derik since the sheet laid at his waist. To me, it was not his face. There were no dimples, no smile, but the sleeping eyes and hair were Derik’s. I watched Mom and Dad say their final goodbyes, kissing Derik’s forehead and whispering sweet nothings. They placed pictures of Scarlet and Derik’s Disney trip to bring to the afterlife for comfort as God and our departed family embraced him. After, it was my turn. Our parents left the room so I could talk to him behind closed doors.

I walked up to Derik, nervous that he would not want me to say goodbye in this manner. But, dear brother, I had to. The image of him alone was causing an ache in my heart; nightmares replaced happy memories of him. I needed to see him safe, to make sure he was not alone as the flames engulfed him, to burn the images of his lifeless body in the wooded alley out of my mind. I placed a picture of the family happy at Christmas in those goofy poses I made everyone do, our pictures of all four siblings last Mother's Day, of Scarlet loving her daddy, and of Mom and Dad smiling. I whispered, ‘I am so sorry,’ over and over, feeling his hand on my shoulder. I stopped. I kissed Derik’s forehead and motioned to the director and henchman to put his lid back on. I pushed the box myself into the kiln, and the doors shut. I kissed my palm and spread my hand on the door and I said goodbye. He was free.

My heart died the moment Derik took his last breath. His body lies in ashes as mine dies slowly from within. The darkness lingers and the nightmares loom into the light. The pain of losing Derik is unbearable, and I am living in the ninth circle of hell, my treachery being called an addict’s sister. Siblings love each other regardless of their paths; they guide each other when they have fallen and are each other’s shoulder to lean on. But I distanced myself from Derik’s addiction; it made him a wicked man. I should have been there for Derik, to wipe the sweat of addiction off his brow when the wickedness came upon him time and time again. Or in the least, I should have called, wrote, or sent Derik love in a care package. But I ignored him, gave him the cold shoulder, and did not see the real person within his eyes. I practiced tough love when I should have just shown him compassion. That is my burden, my guilt, my pain to bear all the days of my life.

According to the Pennsylvania State Coroners Association report, there were at least 2,489 drug-related deaths in 2014 and 800 heroin-related overdoses in the state, with fentanyl poisoning also rising in numbers. My brother, Derik M. Lawley, is now part of the 2015 statistics, and the numbers are rising at an alarming rate.

But Derik wasn’t a statistic. He wasn’t just a number on a spreadsheet. He was a son, a father and a brother. The stigma of the stereotype is that addicts are deviants and don’t engage in society – that they’re unemployed, dropouts, victims of poor upbringings, users in dark, dirty alleyways, robbers of the innocent – and are without love and kindness in their lives, confined to poorer areas of the big city, those without morals. This could not be further from the truth. Heroin and other opioid overdose are now a leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and addiction affects all walks of life across Pennsylvania: rich, poor, middle class, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters and siblings. My brother suffered from a mental illness, not a moral failing. Addiction is a crisis that has hit hard in our local Bucks County and Montgomery County communities.

Derik's death was preventable. If funding for a new initiative to combat heroin and opioid addiction was available, our communities would not be suffering like this. My 3-year-old niece would not be asking, “When is daddy coming back from heaven?” My parents would not be mourning the loss of a son. And my sister, brother, and I would not be suffering the loss of a sibling. Parents across Pennsylvania would not be mourning the loss of their children who are fighting battles with addiction. Parents would not be searching for missing children who are living on the streets, fighting their own demons because insurance companies would not pay for additional, much-needed rehab treatment. Parents would not be planning funerals for their children who departed this world too soon.

Pennsylvania’s legislation needs to allocate funds to increase access to lifesaving therapies and give Pennsylvanians, like my brother, access to the treatment they need. Measures need to be in place to prevent these needless deaths. We need funding for new initiatives to combat the heroin and opioid addiction epidemic.

Many legislators have called for aggressive, community-based, non-punitive measures to combat the scourge of heroin in their communities, however they fail to pass a budget that would add additional funding four human services and mental-health treatment – funding that could have prevented the death of my brother and so many others. Derik’s Jedi Project, an organization named for him, is calling for a Pennsylvania budget that would include funds used to provide mental health and drug and alcohol treatment, funds that could help with the growing number of addicts who previously failed to get treatment due to budget cuts. Funds that could prevent deaths.

Until then, Derik's Jedi Project, created in honor of my brother, will continue to help the addicted living on the streets of Philadelphia who are waiting for someone to give them hope and compassion, by letting someone know they are alive, getting them the much-needed help, putting them in contact with those who can help. We travel weekly to Philadelphia and provide any and all people struggling with addiction we can find with a meal, water, hygiene supplies, a way to get help, and an ear to listen. Through social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, we are giving families of addicts and recovering addicts a way to voice their concerns and seek help when it’s needed. We are asking Pennsylvania citizens to open their eyes to the War on Drugs and consider new revenue streams for funds to provide mental health and drug and alcohol treatment.

We can help prevent more deaths. We can show compassion and understanding of a disease that plagues thousands, and we can show the masses that the stigma attached to addiction is not true. I hope you consider empathizing with the countless number of people who are plagued with addiction, to look in their eyes and know that addiction is a disease, not a choice, and to lend a hand rather than push them further down the rabbit hole. It just might help save one life from being ended and another family from experiencing the despair mine has.

This is my brother, Derik. My brother is no different than you or yours. He had a disease that he did not ask to own. Please remember he was a human being, his addictive self an alter ego he so desperately wanted to be without. Derik was a beautiful soul lost at the tender young age of 25. He had a love of movies, dimples that would melt any heart, and a love for his family that shined brightly in the smile he gave each and every one of us. The look he gave to his daughter as she said, “Daddy,” was one of pure love. Addiction and deceitfulness might have taken him from me, but forgotten he will never be. We know that he is dancing in the sky, and we will not let him die in vain. His story will be known, our story will be heard, and there will be a change in the hearts who those who will listen.

Remember these words: “We are all addicted to something that takes away the pain.” I will not hide my brother’s struggle behind shame and disgrace. Hello, my name is Tara and you have met your match. I am the sister of an addict, and I will not rest until you have learned of the affliction.

Stay tuned: A Generation Addicted, an NBC10 digital exclusive report exploring the tragic world of heroin and opiate addiction in the Philadelphia area and beyond, is coming March 21.

A historic cottage was crushed underneath a Torrey pine in Escondido during last Sunday’s storm.

The two-story cottage, in the 500 block of E. 4th Street, was just feet away from the occupied Pritchett House, home to a family of four.

The Cojulun family, who live at the Pritchett House, were home at the time. Homeowner Alex Cojulun said he was in the kitchen when he thought he heard a branch fall.

The tree, once called the second tallest Torrey pine in the state, destroyed the small board and batten one-bedroom cottage.

Cojulun planned to renovate the cottage, which had been moved from a lot on 7th Avenue seven years ago.

A century ago the cottage had been the home of a sheep ranch worker. It was one of ten workers’ cottages. Now only one other of the original ten cottages still stands.

“El Nino didn’t ask for a demolition permit,” Cojulun said. He now plans to move another historic cottage to his lot to renovate.

Trimmers have been working to remove the tree for several days.
 

A Super Bowl ad for Colonial Williamsburg disturbed some viewers Sunday night because it featured footage from the Sept. 11 terror attacks, showing the World Trade Center's North Tower collapsing in reverse.

The 1-minute ad narrated by NBC News' Tom Brokaw depicts iconic moments from American history, like the first flight and the civil rights movement. It also includes scenes of war and, to the shock of some, the World Trade Center being destroyed.

All of the footage in the ad plays in reverse, ultimately leading up to Colonial Williamsburg’s tagline: “It started here.” The north tower of the WTC is shown reforming upwards from a ball of smoke and debris. 

Colonial Williamsburg is a non-profit foundation in Virginia that operates what it calls the largest living history museum in the U.S.

It didn’t take long before viewers of the ad -- which only aired in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. -- took to social media to express their disapproval.

“Colonial Williamsburg ad evoking 9/11 has been biggest display of offense this whole Super Bowl,” Ethan Sacks tweeted.

“Using 9/11 for commercial purposes is as uncool as using Auschwitz,” Alex Polkhovsky said.

“Saturday Night Live” cast member Taran Killam also took to Twitter to voice his displeasure with the ad. He received a couple of responses from Colonial Williamsburg’s official Twitter account. 

“Did Colonial Williamsburg just show 9/11 footage in reverse? Seems a bit unearned,” Killam tweeted.

Colonial Williamsburg responded to Killam: “It is painful. Without question. But what’s worse? Remembering, or forgetting?”

Killam tweeted back: “’Undoing it feels like a form of forgetting. I think that’s my issue. I don’t see the correlation with your establishment.”

To which Colonial Williamsburg tweeted: “Forgetting is not an option! Every generation has a defining moment. For us: 9/11. Knowledge of history = civic responsibility.”

Some tweeted in support of Colonial Williamsburg, saying they got the pro-history message that the tourist destination was trying to evoke. 

Others said that the ad didn't offend them but simply confused them. 

Either way, the ad is shaping up to be the talked-about ad of the year, following in the footsteps of Nationwide’s “dead kid” ad last year.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation said in a statement to the Washington Post that when the ad was released on social media in the days leading up to the Super Bowl it "garnered thousands of likes and shares alongside hundreds of positive comments within the hour."

"We understand and respect that some of the images depicted in the ad are jarring," the statement said. "However, the small data point of people who objected to some of the imagery in the ad does not represent the total viewership. Not even close."

The statement went on to say that the ad's message was "all that is past is prologue."

"We cannot forget our sacrifices or our tragedies even as we celebrate our accomplishments," the statement added. "Colonial Williamsburg does not shy away from these difficult moments in our history because they have made us who we are just as surely as our many triumphs."

A parachutist who became entangled in power lines near a municipal airport in Central Florida was safely rescued Monday morning.

NBC affiliate WESH in Orlando reported that the parachutist became stuck in power lines near the DeLand Municipal Airport around 9 a.m.

Both DeLand and Volusia County Fire Crews responded to the scene. Power was cut off to the area, and the parachutist was safely taken down from the lines.

The parachutist was not injured, WESH reported.

DeLand is roughly 42 miles north of Orlando and roughly 25 miles west of Daytona Beach.

Southern California is high and dry, as rare February Santa Ana winds blow through the region.

A wind advisory was in effect for San Diego County mountains, coastal foothills and inland valleys through 2 p.m. Monday.

Those areas could experience sustained winds near 20 mph, with gusts (in the windprone passes) to 40 mph.

“The worst of the wind is happening this morning,” said NBC 7’s Meteorologist Jodi Kodesh. “Though we will still be quite windy today, the wind will lesson throughout the course of the day. Tomorrow will be breezy.”

It is extremely dry. Humidity percentages were in the 30s overnight, nearly half of average. Percentages will drop into the teens, and possibly single digits, this afternoon.

Areas just to the north of San Diego are experiencing far greater winds and much drier conditions.

Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties have been placed under a High Wind Warning until 2 pm. Periods of gusty northeast winds of 20 to 30 mph are possible, with gusts in excess of 55 mph.

Critically dry and windy conditions in Los Angeles and Ventura counties have prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning, meaning fire danger is elevated.

A Red Flag Warning is issued when a combination of high winds, low humidity and high temperatures are present.

Southern California beaches are expected to reach the low to mid 80s today. Inland areas will be just under 90 degrees. Downtown San Diego is forecast to reach 81 degrees. Los Angeles will soar to 88 degrees.

“Temperatures across the Southland will be 10 to 20 degrees above average,” said Kodesh. “Though temperatures will trend downward, this week, we will remain above average through the weekend.”
 

Warning: Video may be disturbing to some viewers. 

A leopard was caught on camera tangling with a man beside a swimming pool as it prowled around an area near the capital of Karnataka state in southern India.

The United States Olympic Committee told U.S. sports federations on a January conference call that athletes and staff worried about contracting the Zika virus should consider not going to the 2016 Rio Olympics in August, two people on the call told Reuters.

Federations were told that no one should go to Brazil "if they don't feel comfortable going. Bottom line," said Donald Anthony, president and board chairman of USA Fencing.

Anthony added that, "One of the things that they immediately said was, especially for women that may be pregnant or even thinking of getting pregnant, that whether you are scheduled to go to Rio or no, that you shouldn't go."

Alan Ashley, chief of sport performance for the USOC, did not respond to email or phone calls requesting comment.

The USOC has not officially issued its own set of recommendations for athletes and staff beyond what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have issued.

The Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10 to win Super Bowl 50 at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California, delivering star quarterback Peyton Manning his second championship ring. From Beyoncé's performance of her new song "Formation" at halftime to Betty White's dab before the game, here are the top social media moments on and off the field.

11. A disappointed Cam Newton abruptly walked out of the post-Super Bowl press conference after the Panthers quarterback gave reporters short answers about his team's loss.

Former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski took to Twitter, scolding Newton for his behavior, but he quickly had to clarify his remarks. 

"You will never last in the NFL with that attitude,” Romanowski wrote. "The world doesn’t revolve around you, boy! #CamNewton

Romanowski deleted that tweet. Later, he tried to clarify his remarks tweeting, "Calm down everyone! I meant he needs to grow up!”

He eventually tweeted an apology: "I apologize for that remark 'boy.' It was not intentional or even trying to disrespect others. Peace everyone!"

Meanwhile, some critics also slammed Newton for having failed to dive for the ball during a fumble, and called it a "business decision." 

10. NBA superstar Kevin Durant shot photos from the sidelines.

9. A stampede of adorable dachshunds dressed in hot dog buns ran toward ketchup and mustard bottles in a Heinz commercial, one of the many memorable Super Bowl ads. 

8. FLOTUS and POTUS prepped for the Super Bowl with their dogs Sunny and Bo. 

7. Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter Apple Martin and Beyonce's daughter Blue Ivy were seen holding hands in Paltrow's Instagram post before the Super Bowl. Apple's father Chris Martin and Beyonce performed together during the halftime show.

6. Jonathan Stewart leapt into the end zone for the Panthers only touchdown.

5. Astronaut Scott Kelly tweeted an aerial view of the Super Bowl from space. Kelly is spending a year in space. 

4. Beyonce slayed in her halftime performance of her new song "Formation." She announced she's embarking on a Formation World Tour during the game. The halftime festivities also boasted performances by Bruno Mars and Coldplay.

3. Betty White dabbed, sending Newton a message prior to the start of the game.

2. Denver Broncos starting quarterback Peyton Manning won his second Super Bowl. 

1. Lady Gaga sported red eyeshadow and delivered a memorable rendition of the national anthem to kick off Super Bowl 50.

The Bey is back. And this time, she's coming to San Diego.

After releasing a new song Saturday [check out the video for "Formation"] and performing at the Super Bowl on Sunday, she announced a new stadium tour with more than 20 North American stops -- one of which brings her to America's Finest City. 

Starting Tuesday, Feb. 9, SoundDiego will be giving away FOUR front-row tickets plus VIP parking to Beyonce's May 12 show at Qualcomm Stadium. Check SoundDiego.com later this week for more details!

That's right. San Diego is getting a taste of Beyonce's live show on May 12, when Queen B performs at Qualcomm Stadium. It'll be the Grammy-winning singer's first show here since 2007, when she played what is now the Valley View Casino Center.

Beyonce announced her 2016 Formation World Tour in a commercial after she performed at the Super Bowl halftime show with Bruno Mars and Coldplay. The Live Nation-presented tour kicks off April 27 in Miami and will take her throughout North America and Europe, ending on July 31 in Brussels. This is her first solo tour since the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in 2013.

Presale tickets for the San Diego show for American Express cardholders and Beyhive Fan Club members begins Tuesday at noon. Tickets for general public will be available Feb. 15 for European dates and Feb. 16 for North American dates.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Around 9:30 p.m. a woman called police to say she was concerned her husband was going to get behind the Wheel of a car after drinking.

“He may be very intoxicated and possibly suicidal and he had guns, access to guns, a hand gun, I think a long gun,” said Chula Vista Police Lt. Fritz Reber.

Officers were setting up at the scene when they heard around 10 to 12 gunshots over a 5 to 10 minute period, Reber said.

A reverse 911 phone call was sent to nearby residents to advise that they shelter in place during the standoff.

Negotiators called the suspect on his cell phone.

Once they determined it was safe, Chula Vista police approached the apartment and took the man into custody.

He’s facing at least felony negligent discharge of a firearm, Reber said.

The location was first described by police as San Miguel Drive and 4th Avenue but the location was revised to 840 3rd Avenue.

One day away from Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, there are five storylines worth watching, particularly after an eventful weekend on the ground in the Granite State, according to NBC's First Read team analysis.

Every poll in the past few days shows Donald Trump leading the GOP field by double digits, including some by 20-plus points, but can Trump hold on to his double-digit lead?

It's not clear how Marco Rubio's lackluster debate performance Saturday will play out, but at the very least, it seems to have blunted any momentum he had going into Tuesday. No matter who finishes second, third or fourth in New Hampshire, don't expect anyone to drop out, especially after Rubio's debate gaffe, according to First Read. 

Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, the race in New Hampshire has polling that seems all over the place with Bernie Sanders leading Hillary Clinton by 16 percent, according to one poll and by seven percent, according to another. If Clinton brings back women and unregistered voters, she has a more than realistic chance of making New Hampshire a single-digit race, according to First Read. 

One person died Monday when a van and a tractor trailer truck collided on eastbound Interstate 8 in Alpine.

The deadly collision occurred about 5:20 a.m. east of the Alpine Boulevard exit on I-8.

A Dodge Sprinter carrying pastries collided with a semi-truck carrying wood, according to California Highway Patrol officers. 

The semi was in the far right lane with his hazards on, ascending up the hill at approximately 25 to 30 miles per hour, according to CHP spokesperson Kevin Pearlstein.

The driver of the Dodge, described as a San Diego man in his 50s, never braked before the van slammed into the back of the tractor trailer, Pearlstein said.

The pastry van was headed to Viejas casino and other area hotels to deliver donuts and morning breakfast pastries, officials said.

Refresh this page for updates on this breaking news story.

Four vehicles were involved in a fiery collision Monday on eastbound State Route 52 just west of Santo Road in Tierrasanta.

Emergency personnel rushed to State Route 52 after the crash was reported at 5:50 a.m.

Three people were transported to the hospital according to officials with the California Highway Patrol and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

A SigAlert has been issued for the eastbound lanes. All traffic is blocked until further notice. Westbound SR-52 traffic has slowed because of onlookers.

A big rig was struck by a silver Ford pickup truck, CHP Sgt. Dan Kyle said. The pickup spun out of control on the eastbound lanes and was struck by a black Dodge Ram pickup.

Passersby helped pull the driver from the silver pickup that had burst into flames, Kyle said.

The Ram was struck by a Buick sedan.

Kyle told NBC 7 it's very rare for vehicles to catch on fire in this type of collision.

Refresh this page for updates on this breaking news story.

Football's game of the year always brings talk-worthy moments, and Super Bowl 50 did not disappoint.

According to Google Trends data released Monday, musical guests held their own with star quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Cam Newton as game-watchers took to the Internet. The site tracked popular Super Bowl searches by time, noting when players and performers were making waves online.

Before kickoff, one name was dominating Google search: Lady Gaga. The recent Golden Globe winner's rendition of the National Anthem was applauded by fans and announcers, and she kept people talking on social media throughout the game.

For the first half, Manning and Newton battled for the most-searched name. Another player that made a mark in the first half was Carolina tackle Michael Oher, widely known as the subject of the book and subsequent movie "The Blind Side."

When halftime rolled around, performers Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Beyonce got viewers' attention. And with Beyonce's world tour announcement through her very own Super Bowl commercial, searches spiked for the singer's name even after the performance.

By the time the game ended, Google Trends reported an overwhelming number of searches for Peyton Manning, who earned his second Super Bowl win in what may have been the last game of his career.

 Scheduled security and defense training at Navy bases across the country, included some in San Diego, may cause delays at some bases.

The large-scale training is held to better help personnel better respond to threats. 

The annual training exercise is not in response to specific threats, and is regularly scheduled for practical experience and learning. The training will take place on Naval Base Coronado and Naval Medical Center San Diego Monday through Friday. 

"We do a lot of training to help people recognize what they are supposed to do in the event of an active shooter," said Capt. Curt Jones, Commander of Navy Region Southwest. "Obviously, there have been numerous amount of events that have occurred throughout the country and truly around the world, so we take this all very, very seriously."

The exercise will likely cause disruptions to the public in and around bases, Navy officials said, as well as increased security around bases. There may be traffic or delays getting on bases. 

For Naval Medical Center San Diego hospital staff, patients, and visitors, there may be significant delays and increased traffic Thursday and Friday. The Navy is asking people arrive at least 45 minutes early for scheduled medical appointments.
 

A pedestrian was transported to the hospital with minor injuries after a hit-and-run in Clairemont.

The incident happened around 6:14 p.m. in the 4100 block of Ashford Street.

Police are looking for an older, black SUV in connection to the accident San Diego police confirmed.

USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit are preparing to deploy on February 12.

Over 4,500 sailors and Marines will depart San Diego for the 3rd, 5th and 7th areas of operation.

"The Boxer ARG, 13th MEU team has truly excelled in their preparation for deployment," said Capt. Keith Moore, Commander, Amphibious Squadron One. "The Sailors and Marines of the ARG/MEU team are well trained and ready to deploy in support of all missions."

The ARG and MEU teams were required to complete and pass training that tested their capabilities during real world scenarios they may face while deployed.

The 13th MEU is comprised of a ground combat element, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment; an aviation combat element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 166 (Reinforced); a logistics combat element, Combat Logistics Battalion 13; and a command element.

"I echo the Commodore's statements," stated Col. Anthony Henderson, Commanding Officer, 13th MEU. " Whether a humanitarian assistance mission or combat operations, we are ready. An equally critical contribution to our nation's security is the presence and interaction of America's sons and daughters of this Navy-Marine Corps team around the world as representatives of freedom, liberty, and hope."

The ARG/MEU teams serve as a sea-based crisis response force capable of conducting missions across a full range of military operations.

The USS Boxer’s mission while deployed is to ‘help provide deterrence, promote peace and security, preserve freedom of the seas and provide humanitarian assistance/disaster response as well as support the Navy's Maritime Strategy.’

Crews quickly put out a fire at a two-story "hoarder house" in San Marcos which claimed the life of a dog. 

The fire broke out shortly after 10 a.m. Monday on the 1800 block of Rock Springs Road, Northcomm Dispatch said. 

Firefighters could see smoke rising from the garage of the two-story single family home showing as they arrived. The fire broke out in the kitchen and did not spread, officials said. 

The house is a "hoarder house" full of high density fuel, Northcomm Dispatch said. Crews will be on scene for an extended period of time because of the contents of the house. 

Officials told NBC 7 San Diego on scene no one was home at the time of the fire but a dog, who did not make it out alive. 

The house foreclosed Monday and a woman bid on it at the courthouse, finalizing the purchase minutes after the house broke out in flames. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation. 

No further information was immediately available.

Refresh this page for updates on this breaking news story.